About

The Headstart Acquired Brain Injury Service is recognised as a premier provider of community based specialist services for people with an ABI in the Hunter. Headstart provides individually tailored services across community access, in home support, life skills, social, leisure and recreational services, case co-ordination, family support and community information and education.

Brain injury is unique… we provide a range of services flexible to individual needs.

Headstart commenced in 1986 and over the past 27 years has developed a model that supports people with brain injury to pursue opportunities to link into their community and to follow their life choices as independently as possible. We generate opportunities for people to regain a connection with their community, change their environment to meet their needs, make choices about how they wish to live, how they spend their time and how to plan for their future.

The organisation secured 2 year Pilot Project funding from the Motor Accidents Authority . This recognition of the need for a model of service delivery, specifically designed to meet the complex issues faced by people with ABI was heartening. This funding commenced in 1992, and in 1994 the then Department of Ageing Disability and Home Care provided recurrent funding for the community access programme.

The organisation changed its name in 2008 to Headstart Acquired Brain Injury Service to better reflect the range of services offered. Previously the organisation was known as Headstart Community Access Programme.

Headstart is a not for profit organisation incorporated under the NSW Incorporations Act (2009), and is governed by a volunteer Committee of Management, comprising consumer and community representatives. Headstart is a Public Benevolent Institution and is endorsed by the ATO as a Deductible Gift Recipient.

Our office is located at 95 Turnbull Street Hamilton NSW 2303. We can be contacted on (02) 49654420.

Our Purpose

Our purpose is to build sustainable options for people in the community dealing with the after-effects of acquired brain injury.

We provide specialist long term support services which maximise the abilities of people with ABI to live independently and participate fully in the community in a manner of their choices. We identify opportunities, generate links and networks in order to support a person in the long term

Over the past 27 years we have continued to shape services and provide support in a manner that is respectful, unobtrusive and founded upon principles of strengthening confidence and leadership in the people we support. We embrace an approach “Whatever It Takes” in our day to day work, when supporting people to pursue their goals, dreams and life choices.

Philosophy

Headstart is recognised as a premier provider of specialist brain injury services with many years of providing practical assistance and expertise, and a model of service delivery that supports independence and self determination. We provide sustainable options for people in their lives.

As we continue to grow we keep reworking ways of providing services and our approach, all of which will maximize the opportunities for those people who choose to engage us in their life journey.

What people Say

In order to help educate the community about brain injury, we rely on people telling their stories. In this way people who are the real experts on brain injury help support others in their own journey. We thank these people for their courage and commitment in raising community awareness.